‘The Bachelorette’ and Its Celebrity Experiences

ABC calls on young, attractive, but ordinary people to be featured on its reality dating show “The Bachelorette.” The contestants and the unwed seekers have been attracting steadily large audiences for years. Even the original series “The Bachelor” remains alive and successful today. So how does a show that does not have celebrity competitors or famous eligible singles maintain such a large audience?

The basic concept of the shows has remained the same. A young single man or woman is presented with a range of young attractive singles of the opposite gender to choose a mate from. The range of potential mates go through tasks and challenges to prove themselves. Elimination rounds ensue until there is only one mate left, and that last mate is the winner. What keeps the show alive and kicking though, is the fact that it is not just a game show where all the questions are answered in one episode. The shows make mini-celebrities out of their contestants by bringing their profiles to life and creating story lines of the contestants relationships with one another and the bachelor/bachelorette themselves.

How is “The Bachelorette” still alive 11 seasons though? Audiences should be tired of seeing the same concept presented over and over by now. But there is always a twist to make the entertainment worth while. This season’s controversy was that the male contestants actually got to pick which girl they would compete for. Between Britt Nilsson and Kaitlyn Bristowe, the latter was selected.

With a show like “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” there is always room to bend the concept around and keep audiences hooked. ABC has already released yet another spin-off “Bachelor Pad” and “Bachelor in Paradise” will be debuting this summer. “Bachelor Pad” has launched three seasons, so the prospects of the extended spin-off projects show decent potential.

Lately though, “The Bachelorette” seems to be willing to taking other refreshing angles. The first group date of the season featured celebrity judge Laila Ali. A celebirty guest calls for a solid number of viewers, especially for such a crucial episode. Ali’s appearance as a judge should keep audiences tuned into the show for the rest of the season so they can evaluate the aftermath of her appearance. Furthermore, the new celebrity in town has been invited to the show to be a bachelorette. Amy Schumer, the up-and-coming celebrity whose name has been seen all over television was asked over Twitter to be on the show by Robert Mills. Mills is the head of ABC’s alternative programming, and he even started a hashtag #DraftAmy in order to prompt fans to sway Schumer’s decision. Schumer’s popularity has grown since she got her own show “Inside Amy Schumer,” and she has not stopped pleasing audiences. Schumer recieved Mill’s invitation after her favorable appearance on “The Bachelorette” where she helped the male contestants prepare for an evening of stand-up comedy. Audiences latched onto Schumer after she ripped apart a disliked contestant, JJ, to shreds. She called him a “turd” and told him that his jokes were not funny, and that he is not smarter than everyone else. The Twitter storm that ensued was not successful at recruiting Schumer though. She creatively declined Mills offer through her Twitter responses.

Ali and Schumer are not the only celebrities to star on “The Bachelorette” though. Last season, Jimmy Kimmel stopped by to plan a date. With all its drama and celebrity appearances, the show has kept a steady audience. At this point, can audiences expect a celebrity spin-off of the show? Though Schumer declined the offer, there are plenty of celebrities out there who can consider the opportunity. A celebrity bachelorette show is innovative and will have the show’s audience grow even bigger as fans of the featured celebrity would tune in.

By far, “The Bachelorette” has proven to be a successful series since it has remained for eleven seasons and its drama stays in the spotlight of entertainment news. Should the show ever find a significant decline in popularity, the creators should consider the idea of featuring celebrities as bachelorettes more seriously.